Group Tackles Hurricane Products That Don't Meet Florida Code
Southeast News • December 23, 2008
Bill Feeley, president of the International Hurricane Protection Association (IHPA), announced the formation of the Consumer Safety Task Force for Hurricane Protection Products, intended to act in ...
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Subject: Group Tackles Hurricane Products that Don't Meet Code
Posted On: January 7, 2009, 10:54 pm CST
Posted By: John D. Smith
Comment:
I read with interest the news release by Bill Feeley from the International Hurricane Protection Association. In this article, Mr. Feeley attacks Hurricane Protection Products that do not meet the Florida Building or Miami Dade Codes. For those of you uninformed, both programs are Optional. There is no requirement that a hurricane shutter system must be Code Approved. Hypothetically, if a company sold bubble wrap and duct tape as hurricane protection, if customers bought it, there is no issue. There is no law mandating that homeowners buy a FBC or Miami Dade-approved product. If you read the Florida Building Code's FAQ's on page 2, Number 6 of their website, found at http://www.dca.state.fl.us/FBC/committees/product_approval/PA_QA3_010705.pdf , you will read that FBC Approval is OPTIONAL. If you cannot open that link, please read here:
6. Question: Can a local building department require a manufacturer to get state approval by the Florida Building Commission for their product?
Answer: No. There is no mandate for state product approval in the law or the rule. Local building officials must offer local product approval to a manufacturer when requested. The manufacturer has the "OPTION" of getting approval by the state.
So what is going on here? First you have to understand what Mr. Feeley's occupation is. Mr. Feeley's day job is at Eastern Metal Supply, a large aluminum extrusion manufacturer in Lake Worth, Florida. Visit their website at www.easternmetal.com. Guess what they make? "Alex, I'll take Florida Building Code and Miami Dade Approved Hurricane Shutters for $500!" BINGO!!! Eastern Metal Supply and Mr. Bill make Hurricane Shutters!!! So what is really going on here is Mr. Feeley is seeing his livelihood threatened. Someone created a better hurricane shutter, and he is rather steamed. Rather than innovate a Safe, Simple and Self-Installed Hurricane Shutter, Mr. Feeley and his ilk choose to go on the offensive and attack.
Unfortunately, Mr. Feeley and the Truth rarely intersect. His news release says, "According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (Form OIR B1-1802) and Citizens Insurance Co. (Form WBDR 1802-01-09); after-market installed window films are rated the same as having no protection at all (None). Systems that do not meet the FBC or Miami-Dade Approvals are also rated as "None."
This is simply not true and you can see this for yourself. Simply download both of the above mentioned insurance mitigation forms. Look under Section 8, Opening Protection. Now, look at the criteria for each of the different ratings. The highest "Hurricane" Rating asks for proof of Large Missile Impact Compliance with one of 3 criteria. These criteria include both the aforementioned Florida Building Code and Miami Dade. However, there is a 3rd choice and that choice is "ASTM E 1886 and ASTM E 1996 (Missile Level C.). Mr. Feeley leads one to believe that this insurance form requires either Miami Dade of Florida Building Code compliance ONLY and that systems that do not meet the FBC or Miami Dade Approvals are rated as "None." This is simply not true--a simple review of each insurance mitigation form will demonstrate this.
What is most laughable about Mr. Feeley's disingenuous comments is his statement of "The difference in choosing approved or non-approved Hurricane protection systems can dramatically affect the survival of a home and its contents and in some cases can be a life or death decision."
So Mr. Feeley is saying that IF a homeowner doesn't buy either of the Florida Building Code or Miami Dade Approved hurricane shutters his company and industry sells, the survival of the home and contents is at risk. That is a rather interesting position to take. Unfortunately, it is simply not true. Hurricanes are unpredictable; there is no hurricane shutter system that is infallible. In fact, speaking of safety, were you aware that since 2004, almost a dozen Floridians have been killed in fires, when their Florida Building Code and Miami Dade approved shutters inhibited their safe exit from the inside? You can read about these sad deaths here: http://www.storm-stoppers.com/hurricanetradgedies.htm.
Those people died, DEAD PEOPLE, because they used products that Mr. Feeley makes and sells. Yet he deigns to preach in his news release about life and death safety issues with other products. Uh, what about his own, that have factually killed people in recent years? Do you think he's trying to innovate a safe exit hurricane shutter? Nope. He is content to pass his time writing misleading press releases that attack legitimate competitors with better products and more market share.
When you are dealing with disingenuous individuals like Mr. Feeley and the International Hurricane Protection Association, remember that you should examine their real motives. Their real motive is survival. The entire bolt-on shutter industry is facing a major challenge in that homeowners can't afford their expensive shutter systems. Instead of innovating products that are affordable, Safe, Simple and Self-Installed, Mr. Feeley has resorted to making assertions that are simply untrue and embellishing misinformation.
In closing, if you really want to help Mr. Feeley, it is this reader's suggestion that you purchase his expensive, unsafe, difficult to use aluminum hurricane shutters. Of course, this won't help you a lick and it may kill you if there's a fire and your FBC/Miami Dade-Approved shutters are up. However, it will help Mr. Feeley, which is the entire point of his misinformed news release. Mr. Feeley's entire issue is about money---his lack of it and his competitors' access to Scrooge McDuck Vaults of it because of their focus on innovation and the CUSTOMER. Ultimately, whether Mr. Feeley likes it or not, it is the customer who decides which innovative, Safe, Simple & Self Installed Hurricane Shutter company survives and which hurricane shutter company (or industry) folds.
Subject: Group Tackles Hurricane Products that Don't Meet Code
6. Question: Can a local building department require a manufacturer to get state approval by the Florida Building Commission for their product?
Answer: No. There is no mandate for state product approval in the law or the rule. Local building officials must offer local product approval to a manufacturer when requested. The manufacturer has the "OPTION" of getting approval by the state.
So what is going on here? First you have to understand what Mr. Feeley's occupation is. Mr. Feeley's day job is at Eastern Metal Supply, a large aluminum extrusion manufacturer in Lake Worth, Florida. Visit their website at www.easternmetal.com. Guess what they make? "Alex, I'll take Florida Building Code and Miami Dade Approved Hurricane Shutters for $500!" BINGO!!! Eastern Metal Supply and Mr. Bill make Hurricane Shutters!!! So what is really going on here is Mr. Feeley is seeing his livelihood threatened. Someone created a better hurricane shutter, and he is rather steamed. Rather than innovate a Safe, Simple and Self-Installed Hurricane Shutter, Mr. Feeley and his ilk choose to go on the offensive and attack.
Unfortunately, Mr. Feeley and the Truth rarely intersect. His news release says, "According to the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (Form OIR B1-1802) and Citizens Insurance Co. (Form WBDR 1802-01-09); after-market installed window films are rated the same as having no protection at all (None). Systems that do not meet the FBC or Miami-Dade Approvals are also rated as "None."
This is simply not true and you can see this for yourself. Simply download both of the above mentioned insurance mitigation forms. Look under Section 8, Opening Protection. Now, look at the criteria for each of the different ratings. The highest "Hurricane" Rating asks for proof of Large Missile Impact Compliance with one of 3 criteria. These criteria include both the aforementioned Florida Building Code and Miami Dade. However, there is a 3rd choice and that choice is "ASTM E 1886 and ASTM E 1996 (Missile Level C.). Mr. Feeley leads one to believe that this insurance form requires either Miami Dade of Florida Building Code compliance ONLY and that systems that do not meet the FBC or Miami Dade Approvals are rated as "None." This is simply not true--a simple review of each insurance mitigation form will demonstrate this.
What is most laughable about Mr. Feeley's disingenuous comments is his statement of "The difference in choosing approved or non-approved Hurricane protection systems can dramatically affect the survival of a home and its contents and in some cases can be a life or death decision."
So Mr. Feeley is saying that IF a homeowner doesn't buy either of the Florida Building Code or Miami Dade Approved hurricane shutters his company and industry sells, the survival of the home and contents is at risk. That is a rather interesting position to take. Unfortunately, it is simply not true. Hurricanes are unpredictable; there is no hurricane shutter system that is infallible. In fact, speaking of safety, were you aware that since 2004, almost a dozen Floridians have been killed in fires, when their Florida Building Code and Miami Dade approved shutters inhibited their safe exit from the inside? You can read about these sad deaths here: http://www.storm-stoppers.com/hurricanetradgedies.htm.
Those people died, DEAD PEOPLE, because they used products that Mr. Feeley makes and sells. Yet he deigns to preach in his news release about life and death safety issues with other products. Uh, what about his own, that have factually killed people in recent years? Do you think he's trying to innovate a safe exit hurricane shutter? Nope. He is content to pass his time writing misleading press releases that attack legitimate competitors with better products and more market share.
When you are dealing with disingenuous individuals like Mr. Feeley and the International Hurricane Protection Association, remember that you should examine their real motives. Their real motive is survival. The entire bolt-on shutter industry is facing a major challenge in that homeowners can't afford their expensive shutter systems. Instead of innovating products that are affordable, Safe, Simple and Self-Installed, Mr. Feeley has resorted to making assertions that are simply untrue and embellishing misinformation.
In closing, if you really want to help Mr. Feeley, it is this reader's suggestion that you purchase his expensive, unsafe, difficult to use aluminum hurricane shutters. Of course, this won't help you a lick and it may kill you if there's a fire and your FBC/Miami Dade-Approved shutters are up. However, it will help Mr. Feeley, which is the entire point of his misinformed news release. Mr. Feeley's entire issue is about money---his lack of it and his competitors' access to Scrooge McDuck Vaults of it because of their focus on innovation and the CUSTOMER. Ultimately, whether Mr. Feeley likes it or not, it is the customer who decides which innovative, Safe, Simple & Self Installed Hurricane Shutter company survives and which hurricane shutter company (or industry) folds.